Rotary lathe



(No Model.) 7 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. W. TINGL'EY.

ROTARY LATHE. N0. 488,372. Patented Dec. 20, 1892.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. W. TINGLEY. ROTARY LATHE.

No. 488,372. Patented Dec. 20, 1892.

$2242 8-3866. I 7". W 7m F (No Model.) 6SheetsSheet 3. v

H. w. TINGLEY.

ROTARY LATHE.

No. 488,372; Patented e. 20,1892.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

H. W. TINGLEY.

ROTARY LATHE.

Patented Dec. 20,1892.-

I No. 488,372.

- ggllllllllfllllllllllfil ........mmma'unma"" I I II III ive/772227 6Sheets Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

,.H. W. TINGLEY.

ROTARY LATHE.

No. 488,372; Patented Dec. 20,1892.

1.. M, 9W a zfl a w T 5 C0 PHOTO-LITHD WASHINGTON D G HORACE IV.TINGLEY, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC TURNINGCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY LAT H E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,372, dated December20, 1892.

Applieationfiled April 28,1891. Renewed June 20, 1892- Serial No.437,344. (No model.)

To otZZ whom it may concern.-

Beitknown that I, HORACE W. TINGLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Michigan City, in the county of La Porte and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lathes, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the class of rotary lathes inwhich the blanks to be reduced to a predetermined form are rotated ontheir own axes and about rapidly rotating knives which elfect thedesired reduction.

My invention is especially designed as an improvement upon a lathe ofthe kind referred to, set forth in Letters Patent of the United StatesNo. 429,297, dated June 3,1890, and which, like my present device, whilenot limited to the production of any particular geometrical form of thework to be turned out by it, is particularly designed for turningbroom-handles, for which reason I illustrate and describe it in thepresent connection as adapted to that particular purpose. I wish it tobe clearly understood, however, that the principle embodied in myimprovement is equally capable of employment, by suitable adaptation ofthe mechanism, for the turning of spokes and other devices involvingshapes varying from the shape of a broom-handle to which the presentdescription and drawings are confined for reasons of convenience andbrevity.

A serious objection to the patented lathe referred to arises from theso-called guiderail features forming essential parts thereof. Theseguide-rails, as the name implies, are relied on to control thepresentation to the knives of the work to reduce the latter to thepredetermined diameter; but they are found to be impracticable in theuse of the lathe for manufacturing broom handles. It is also found inthe application of the lathe to the manufacture of broom-handles, thatthey, being produced from blanks of comparatively long and narrowdimensions and being unsupported between their ends, tend to yield tothe stress of the knives against them, particularly as their rigiditydecreases with the gradual reduction in diameter as the work proceeds;and that, being thus not held firmly against the knives, the latter,especially as they become dulled, fail in their desired cooperation withthe blank-carrying spindles and produce an imperfect product.

The primary object of my improvement is to provide aconstruction oflathe of the char acter referred to whereby the aforeseid objectionsshall be overcome. To that end I dispense with guide-rails and employ acircu lar path of feed, (of course for the spindlecenters about thecircle described by the knives,) eccentric with relation to the circularpath of the knives. Furthermore,for holding the work unyieldingly upagainst the knives, I provide a desired numberof what I termsteady-rests or bearings, the same affording a back to the blanks,conforming to the exterior contour of the path of the blanks describedby them while undergoing reduction.

My further object is to improve the beforementioned patented machine invarious respects, hereinafter described, thereby to render it a bettermachine for its purpose.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a plan-sectional View of myimproved machine, omitting, however, the blank carrying spindles, andalso the cutter-heads from one side of their shaft, toavoidindistinctness in the figure. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a brokensectional view, the section being taken at the line 3 of Fig. 1 andviewed inthe direction of the arrow. Fig. 4. is a section taken eitheron the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 or at the line 4. of Fig. 3, and viewed asindicated by arrows. Fig. 5 is a broken view in section, the sectionbeing taken on the line 5 of Fig. 4 and re-; garded in the direction ofthe arrow.. Fig. 6'

is a View in the nature of adiagram illustrating a species of stationarycam -guide for withdrawing the dead-spindles to release the work whenfinished, one of said spindles, broken, being represented adjacent tothe approach-end of the cam-guide. Fig.7 is a section taken at the line7 either on Fig.1 or on Fig. 3, and viewed in the direction indicated bythe arrow. Fig.8 is a section taken at the line 8. of Fig. 1 and viewedin the direction of the arrow. Fig. 9 is an enlarged broken perspectiveview of the blank feed-hopper and spring-details for controlling eachblank while being fed to the machine. Fig. 10 is a section taken on theline 10 of Fig. '7and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 11 is abroken view in elevation showing a pusher-detail for moving the blankssuccessively into position, from the blank-feed, to be clamped betweenopposite members of a pair of the spindles.

Generally stated, the operation of the machine is as follows: The blanksare piled in a vertical feed-hopper open at its base and resting on theframe at the front of the machine. From it the blanks are fed bygravity, the lowermost dropping into position to be pushed by suitablytimed mechanism between clamping-springs for holding the blank at itsends until grasped and centered between a pair of the spindles, whichrotate it on its own axis against the knives and at the same time carryit around the cutter-heads through a circular feeding path eccentric tothe circle described by the knives, and whereby the blank is keptclose'against the latter. A halfrevolution around the machine of theblank suffices to finish it; and the feed-path to the knives, referredto, tapers to the end of such half-revolution, whence the finishedarticle is carred around nearly to the insertion-point of the blank andthere released on withdrawing the dead-spindle holding it.

The detailed construction is as follows: A is the frame of the machinehaving suitably journaled upon it the shaft A, carrying, at one end, thebelt-pulley w, and the knives A arranged as, or substantially in themanner, set forth in the aforesaid patent. Near opposite ends of theshaft A it is surrounded eccentrically by sleeves B and B, forming thestationary bearings of rotary gear-wheels B formed, respectively, withhorizontally extending spindle-sockets c and 'v, twenty-four of whichare shown on each of the disks B equidistant apart and coinciding inpairs on the opposite gear-wheels. Spindles C, revoluble on their ownaxes, or live spindles, carrying pinions p at their outer ends, aresupported in the sockets o, and dead spindles G are supported in thesockets 1;, being longitudinally movable therein under the control ofsprings q confined around them and each having a wheel g at its outerend.

The spindle-carryin g gear-wheels B are confined in place on their saidbearings, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3, between heads u bolted to theinner ends of the sleeves and surrounding the cutter-shaft and flangesu, on the sleeves. The internal diameter of the sleeves B and B isgreater than the diameter of the shaft A, which is adapted to be seteccentrically with relation to the sleeves in order that thespindle-centers may be rotated through a circular path inclining fromone side of the machine to the other, or another, side toward thecircular plane traversed by the knives so as to compensate for thecontinual decrease in the diameter of each blank under the action of theknives, by maintaining it against the latter on its way to the extremityof the described inclination, which is the finishing end of the path ofthe'blank. The bearings D for the journaled ends of the shaft A areadjustable to permit the desired eccentricity of the sleeves withrelation to the cutter-shaft to be attained; and when properly adjusted,to afford additional bearings i (see Fig. 3) for that shaft, I pouraround it, inside the heads a, Babbitt metal.

The construction of the adjustable bearings D is most clearlyillustrated in Fig. 8, being provided on end-extensions a: of the frameA to which are firmly bolted the baseextensions :22 of the sleeve, nearthe opposite lateral edges of which are upward projecting flanges 4: Thelower, or seat, portion 0 of each journal bearing is narrower than, andsits between, the flanges 00 and is provided. laterally with horizontalflanges 0 having bolt-holes 0 of greater diameter than the bolts whichpass through them into and clamp the part 0 down upon thesleeve-extension w; and in the vertical flanges m are horizontalset-screws 0 bearing at their inner ends against the sides of theflanges 0' of the seat 0. The cap-portion 0 of each bearing D isfastened in place in a usual manner.

To adjust the shaft A to bring the circular plane of the knives itcarries nearer to or farther from one side of the circular planetraversed by the spindle-centers, the bolts in the holes 0 are loosenedas also the bolts 0 at one side of the machine, when those at theopposite side are forced inward to slide the seats 0 carrying the shaftA in the desired direction.

On the sleeve B, at the outer side of the gear-wheel B thereon isanother gear-wheel E confined at its hub s between the flange or ring aand an outer flange n to mesh with the pinionsp on the live-spindle o,the adjacent wheels B and E being adapted to revolve together. Keyed tothe extended hub s of the wheel E, is another gear-wheel F. Acounter-shaft m carries at its outer end a tight pulleyan and a loosepulley m and near the inner pulley a pinion m meshing with a gearwheel Gon a counter-shaft Z. The shaft Z carries a pinion G, and also pinionsG2 and G meshing with the gear-wheels B The shaft Zis journaled inbearings supported on shelves Z (Fig. 2) adjacent to the feed,hereinafter described. Another counter-shaft It carries a pinion 7c inmesh with a gear-wheel H on the shaft Z. Between the gear-wheel F andpinion G is an idlerz' (Figs. 7 and 10) on a stud t" in the frame A. Thecountershaft operates feeding mechanism I: On the shaft is are twoeccentrics h connected by rods h with pushers 72, supported to bereciprocated in guides h on a horizontal slotted table h (see Fig. 11).Afeed-hopper gfor the blanks g is formed with two channel-ironssupported vertically on the frame of the machine at opposite sides ofthe horizontal path of the pushers and connected by a flaring top 9 IIOThe blanks, which are thus retained in the feed-hopper only at theirends, extend across the path of the pushers, which, in their forwardmovement, from a line behind the plane of the blanks, push the lowermostone of the pile in the hopper, into the machine, to be taken up in themanner hereinafter described, the feed being, thus, by gravity. Thefeedhopper g is open at its front side near the base of eachchannel-iron, as indicated at f (see particularly Fig. 9) each opening fbeing, vertically, considerably wider than a blank 9', so as to avoidthe possibility of exceptionally thick blanks being forced by thepushers, in their operation, against the front side of the hopper, whichwould tend to break it and disorganize the machine. To prevent more at atime than the lowest of the supply of blanks from being fed into themachine, I extend from the top of each opening f, as a continuation ofthe front of the channel-iron, a wooden guard f',which should projectfar enough downward to overlap the second low: est of the blanks g. Thenif ever the lowermost blank be thick enough to, or should from any othercause, be overlapped by the extensions f, the fastening of the latter.is purposely so frail that they will give way under the force of thepushers and thus save any material damage to the machine.

From the outer sides of the two channelirons of the feed-hopper g,Iextend, horizontally, flat springs f adapted to receive each blank as itis pushed between them by the pushers and clamp it at its endsyieldingly in position to be taken up by a pair of the spindles when therespective spring-controlled dead spindle C is released for the purposein the mannerhereinafter explained. I furthermore provide springs f onthe frame A, projecting somewhat in advance of the springs f and in theplane between the latter, to afford a yielding seat for each blank whileheld between the springs f so that if the H10- tion of the machine,after grasping a blank, should not be sufficiently rapid to prevent theturning of the blank by the spindle from causing the rear corner of theblank to strike the seat f the latter will readily yield, and preventinjury to the adjustment of the blank between the spindles. i

From below the shelves Z I extend, to project in advance of the latter,strippers Z which are located at the end of the circular path of theblanks about the machine, just below the feeding-point thereof; and itis near the stripping-point that each spring-controlled spindle O has tobe withdrawn to release its blank, the strippers serving to insure therelease of the blank in case it should stick. To that end I provide andsecure to the inner side of the frame A, in the path of the wheels q ofthe spindles O, a cam guiderail device L (see Figs. l and 6) with whichthe wheels q engage successively in their rotation about the knives, andwhich, by guid ing them outwardly, tends to effect the withdrawal ofeach fromits blank before the latter reaches the strippers. reaches thefarther end of the cam-guide L, where it is provided with an arc-shaped.notch 6 (Fig. 4) which coincides with the adjacent end of the blank gbeing held between the springs f the spring q controlling the respectivespindle C, by its recoil forces it back to its normal position and indoing so it engages the adjacent end of the blank and grasps the latterbetween itself and its companion live-spindle.

M (Fig. 2) is the steady-rest hereinbefore referred to. As representedin Fig. 1, three of the steady-rests are provided between thespindle-carrying gears B Each steady-rest M describes the arc of acircle extending from a laterally central line longitudinal of themachine, (which is the point at which the work on each blank isfinished,) directly or almost directly opposite the pushers hinearly tothe latter, the portion of a circle described by each device M beingsuch as to cause it to widen with relation to the circle traversed bythe spindle-centers, from its end y to its end y in accordance with theincreasing diameters of the blanks from the point where they arefinished to the point at which they are fed to the machine, so that itwill at every point afford a bearing for the blanks to hold them againstthe knives. Each steady rest should be strong and constructed of metal,with its end y forming an extension (1 of wood, frailly secured inplace, so that in case of a blank g, in feeding, (to do which it mustpass under the end y) being accidentally forced against thesteady-rests, it will only break away the extensionswithout liabilityofotherwise harmingthe mechanism.

As will be noticed, with relation to the circle described by the knives,the circles described by the spindle-centers and steadyrests are notonly both eccentric to it but also to each other.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The shaft A- carrying theknives A is driven in one direction, indicated by an arrow in Fig. 7,from the pulley w. All the rest of the mechanism is driven,independently of the cutter-shaft, from the shaft m',whicl1 is driven,also as indicated by an arrow,in the same dimotion as the shaft A. Theshaft Zis driven by a pinion m on the shaft m, which meshes with agear-wheel G on the shaft Z, the latter carrying a pinion G which mesheswith the idler t' on the stud t" and, through the idler, drives the gearF. The counter shaft Z through the pinions G and G it carries, and whichengage the spindle carrying gear- Wheels B drives the latter in thedirection opposite that in which the gear F turns. Thus the spindles Gand O are revolved about the knives A in the same direction that theknives are rotated, and the spindles O are rotated on their own axes,against the direction of rotation of the knives, by meshing with thegear-wheel E, thereby revolving also the When a wheel q.

blanks on the dead-spindles C. A gear-Wheel Hmeshes with the pinion 70on the countershaft k, thereby driving the last-named shaft toreciprocate the pushers 7?. With blanks g in the feed-hopper g, and themechanism operating in the manner thus described, each forward stroke ofthe pushers h introduces a blank between the clamping-springs f justprior to the recoil of a spindle 0' through the recess or notch 0 at theend of the cant-guide L adjacent to an end of the supported blank. Whensuch spindle recoils, its center penetrates that end of the blank,forcing the opposite end into engagement with the center of itscompanion-spindle O, which revolves the blank slo-Wlyon its own axisagainst theknives, While carrying it, by the rotary motion of the gearsB around the knives toward the point 1 of the steady-rests where theblank, having made a half-revolution about the machine, will befurnished, meantime having traveled through a path according to thevariation continuously proceeding in the reduction of the blank from thefeed to the finishing-point. From the point y the path may be said toWiden, for the relative eccentricity of the circle described by theknives and that described bythe spindle-centers diverges, therebycausing the latter to reoede from the knives and carry the finishedblank away from the action thereof as it proceeds to the initial end ofthe cam-guide which, as hereinbefore described, frees it from thespindles, the strippers Z only performing their function in case ,ofsticking of the blank, which drops out of the machine as soon as freed.As will be understood, the turning of the feedmechanism with relation tothe revolution of the spindle-carrying gears B is such as to push ablank into position to be gripped by the pair of spindles next in orderto engage it, so that when the machine is in operation, so long as thesupply of blanks is maintained to the feed-hopper, as many finishedbroomhandles will be turned out with each complete revolution of thegears 13 as there are pairs of the spindles.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In alathe the combination with the rotary knives, of the rotaryspindle-supports permanently adjusted eccentrically with relation to thecutter-axis and carrying the radially disposed spindles, operated torotate the blanks on their own axes and describing at their centers, bythe said eccentricity, a circular path inclining toward the knives fromone side to another of the machine, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. In a lathe the combination with the rotary knives, of the rotaryspindle-supports eccentrically adjusted with relation to the cutter-axisand carrying the radially disposed spindles operated to rotate theblanks on their own axes and describing at their centers, by the saideccentricity, a circular path inclining toward the knives from one sideto another of the machine, and a steady-rest for the blanks conformingon its bearing side to the exterior contour of the path described by ablank While undergoing reduction, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. In a lathe the combination of a rotary shaft carrying the knives in acircle concentric with the said shaft, rotary spindle-supportspermanently adjusted eccentrically with relation to the cutter-axis andactuated independently thereof, spindles radially disposed on the saidsupports to describe at their centers, by the said eccentricity, acircular path inclining toward the knives from one side to another ofthe machine, and operated to rotate the blanks on their own axes, and afeed for the blanks actuated from the spindle-support driving-mechanism,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a lathe the combination of a rotary shaft carrying the knives in acircle concentric With the said shaft, rotary spindle-supportseccentrically adjusted with relation to the cutter-axis and actuatedindependently thereof, spindles radially disposed on the said supportsto describe at their centers, by the said eccentricity, a circular pathinclining toward the knives from one side to another of the machine andoperated to rotate the blanks on their own axes, a steady rest for theblanks conforming on its bearing-side to the exterior contour of thepath described by a blank while undergoing reduction, and a feed for theblanks actuated from the spindle-support driving-mechanism,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a lathe the combination with the frame A of a cutter-shaft Ahaving the knives radially supported upon it to describe a circleconcentric with the shaft and journaled in adjustable bearings D, rotarygear-wheels B supported on stationary bearings eccentrically surroundingthe cutter-shaft and actuated independently thereof, and live-spindles Oand dead-spindles 0 supported, respectively, on the said gear-wheels toextend across the plane of their rotation in pairs on the twogear-wheels and disposed to describe at their centers, by the saideccentricity, a circular path inclining toward the knives from one sideto another of the machine, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

6. In a lathe the combination with the frame A of a rotary cutter-shaftA having the knives radially supported upon it to describe a circleconcentric with the shaft, rotary gear-wheels B supported 7 onstationary bearings eccentrically surrounding the cutter-shaft andactuated independently thereof, live-spindles C and dead-spindles Csupported, respectively, on the said gear-wheels to extend across theplanes of their rotation in pairs on the two gear-Wheels and disposed todescribe at their centers by the said eccentricity, a circular pathinclining toward the knives from one side to another of the machine, anda steady-rest M for the blanks extending from one side of the machinenearly to the feed at the opposite side thereof and conforming at itsbearing side to the exterior contour of the path described by a blank inundergoing reduction, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a lathe the combination with the frame, the cutter-carrying shaftthe rotary spindle-supports carrying the radially disposed live and deadspindles and surrounding and driven independently of the cutter-shaft,of a feed I comprising ahopper g for the blanks open at its base andprovided at opposite sides with clam ping-springs f 2 and in advancethereof with seating-spring f eccentrics h on a counter-shaft 7e drivenby the spindle support actuating mechanism, and ,pushers 7L2 confined inguides and connected with the said eccentrics to be reciprocatedhorizontally across the open base of the hopper, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

8. In a lathe the combination with the frame A of a rotary cutter-shaftA having the knives radially supported upon it to describe a circleconcentric with the shaft, rotary gear-wheels B supported on stationarybearings B and B eccentrically surrounding said shaft and actuatedindependently thereof, live-spindles G and dead-spindles C supported,respectively, on the said gear-wheels to extend across the planes oftheir rotation in pairs on the two gear-wheels and disposed to describeat their centers, by the said eccentricity, a circular path incliningtoward the knives from one side to another of the machine, a steady-restM for the blanks, extending from one side of the machine nearly to thefeed at the opposite side thereof and conforming at its bearing side tothe exterior contour of the path described by a blank in undergoingreduction, and a feed comprising a hopper g for the blanks, acounter-shaft is carrying eccentrics h and driven by the spindle-supportdriving-mechanism, pushers k connected with the eccentrics to be reciprocated across the open base of the hopper, clamping-springs f at theopposite sides of the hopper and seating springs f in advance thereof,for the blanks, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a lathe the combination with the frame A of a rotary cutter-shaftA having the cutters radially supported upon it to describe a circleconcentric with the shaft, rotary gear-wheels B supported on stationarybearings B and B eccentrically surrounding said shaft and actuatedindependently thereof, live-spindles O and spring-controlleddeadspindles 0 supported, respectively, on the said gear-wheels toextend across the planes of their rotation in pairs on the twogearwheels and disposed to describe at their centers, by the saideccentricity, a circular path inclining toward the knives from one sideto another of the machine, a feed, and a camguide L for thedead-spindles terminating near the feed, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

10. In a lathe the combination with. the frame A of a rotarycutter-shaft A having the cutters radially supported upon it to describea circle concentric with the shaft, ro-

tary gear-wheels B supported on stationary bearings B and Beccentrically surrounding said shaft and actuated independently thereof,live-spindles O and spring'controlled deadspindles 0 supported,respectively, on the gear-wheels B and B to extend across the planes oftheir rotation inpairs on the two gear-wheels and disposed to describeat their centers, by the said eccentricity, a path narrowing toward thecutters from one side to another of the machine, a steady-rest M for theblanks, extending from one side of the machine nearly to the feed at theopposite side thereof and conforming at its bearing side exteriorcontour of the path described by a blank in undergoing reduction, afeedI comprising a hopper gfor the blanks, acounter-shaft 7r; carryingeccentrics h and driven by the spindle-support driving-mechanism,pushers 72 connected with the said eccentrics to be reciprocated acrossthe open base of the hopper, clamping-springs f at the opposite sides ofthe hopper and seating-springs f 3 in advance thereof, for the blanks,and a camguide L in the path of the dead-spindles and terminating at itsforward end adjacent to a clampingspring F, the whole being constructedand arranged to operate substantially as described.

HORACE W. TINGlLEY. In presence of- J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. FROST.

